Abstract
Mandatory reporting of persons believed to be at imminent risk for committing violence or attempting suicide can pose an ethical dilemma for physicians, who might find themselves struggling to balance various conflicting interests. Legal statutes dictate general scenarios that require mandatory reporting to supersede confidentiality requirements, but physicians must use clinical judgment to determine whether and when a particular case meets the requirement. In situations in which it is not clear whether reporting is legally required, the situation should be analyzed for its benefit to the patient and to public safety. Access to firearms can complicate these situations, as firearms are a well-established risk factor for violence and suicide yet also a sensitive topic about which physicians and patients might have strong personal beliefs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 29-35 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | AMA Journal of Ethics |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2018 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
How should physicians make decisions about mandatory reporting when a patient might become violent? / Barnhorst, Amy V; Wintemute, Garen J; Betz, Marian E.
In: AMA Journal of Ethics, Vol. 20, No. 1, 01.01.2018, p. 29-35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - How should physicians make decisions about mandatory reporting when a patient might become violent?
AU - Barnhorst, Amy V
AU - Wintemute, Garen J
AU - Betz, Marian E.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Mandatory reporting of persons believed to be at imminent risk for committing violence or attempting suicide can pose an ethical dilemma for physicians, who might find themselves struggling to balance various conflicting interests. Legal statutes dictate general scenarios that require mandatory reporting to supersede confidentiality requirements, but physicians must use clinical judgment to determine whether and when a particular case meets the requirement. In situations in which it is not clear whether reporting is legally required, the situation should be analyzed for its benefit to the patient and to public safety. Access to firearms can complicate these situations, as firearms are a well-established risk factor for violence and suicide yet also a sensitive topic about which physicians and patients might have strong personal beliefs.
AB - Mandatory reporting of persons believed to be at imminent risk for committing violence or attempting suicide can pose an ethical dilemma for physicians, who might find themselves struggling to balance various conflicting interests. Legal statutes dictate general scenarios that require mandatory reporting to supersede confidentiality requirements, but physicians must use clinical judgment to determine whether and when a particular case meets the requirement. In situations in which it is not clear whether reporting is legally required, the situation should be analyzed for its benefit to the patient and to public safety. Access to firearms can complicate these situations, as firearms are a well-established risk factor for violence and suicide yet also a sensitive topic about which physicians and patients might have strong personal beliefs.
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U2 - 10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.1.ecas1-1801
DO - 10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.1.ecas1-1801
M3 - Article
C2 - 29360025
AN - SCOPUS:85064163665
VL - 20
SP - 29
EP - 35
JO - AMA journal of ethics
JF - AMA journal of ethics
SN - 2376-6980
IS - 1
ER -